Single-instruction, multiple-data (SIMD) processors are generally characterized as having an array of processors that perform the same operations simultaneously on each element of the data array. Vector processing, an application of SIMD processors, uses vector instructions, which specify the operation to be performed and specifies a list of operands, i.e., the data vector, on which it will operate.
Since the use of processor arrays can result in extensive parallelism, resulting in high execution speeds, one of the problems in the past has been getting data in and out of the processor during the processing operation. The solution to this has been to utilize a synchronous vector processor, which has been utilized in conjunction with digital television processors. The synchronous vector processors are utilized to form various processing tasks, such as filtering, for which a processor with a fast throughput is desirable. For example, digital comb filtering is utilized to separate the luminance and chrominance signals from each other. In general, digital filters are expressed as Z-transform functions, in which the terms represent weighted and timed delays.
One problem with existing digital filtering techniques is that calculations are typically performed with serial processing algorithms and devices, sample-by-sample and tap-by-tap. However, the newer filter applications require significantly more processing power than is available with these techniques. Some approaches to digital filtering have improved processing speed with custom design circuits. One of these is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,210,705.